Ngo Your Meal's Favorite Restaurants of 2019
Hi Everyone! This is a recap of 2019 and what’s coming up in 2020.
The biggest news is that we relaunched the newly designed website! It only took 6 months but I’m really happy with the results. Since inception, we reached 410,000+ views on the blog so that's exciting.
For 2020, we're going to aim for 500k views as we approach Ngo Your Meal's 7th birthday. I'm going to work on improving email notifications, strengthening our social media presence, and enhancing the quality of posts. Also, you can expect to see more guides/recipes instead of restaurant reviews.
Big thanks to everyone that reads and supports this site. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am.
Anyway, here's our favorite NYC restaurants of 2019 (in no particular order):
Rezdôra - This is officially my favorite Italian restaurant in Manhattan. The energy here is intimate yet welcoming with the most perfect tagliolini al ragu I have ever experienced.
Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare - It’s not really my first visit but the consistency here is incredible. Even when they were still in Brooklyn, this was my favorite restaurant in the world. Serving Japanese-inspired cuisine through French technique, each visit to Chef’s Table is an immaculate experience.
Crown Shy - Featuring one of the best short rib dishes in the city, Crown Shy is a crowd pleaser. Don’t even get me started on their freshly baked olive bread.
Oxomoco - Having just received it’s first Michelin star last year, this beautiful spot is bringing contemporary Mexican cuisine under the spotlight. Their masa griddle cakes with Oaxacan chocolate is life-changing.
Kawi - I’m not the biggest fan of Momofuku restaurants but I have to say that their steamed whole chicken is quite an unforgettable experience. 10/10 would go back just for the chicken.
Kaikagetsu - Tucked away in Lower East Side, this underappreciated gem serves phenomenal kaiseki menus with a focus on Hida beef sukiyaki.
Kajitsu - Specializing in shojin ryori, or the traditional diet of Buddhist monks, Kajitsu brings theatrical vegetarian tasting menus to New York City.
Consolation Prize: Niche Niche - While the food here is only just passable, the experience is amusing. Every night, they have a dinner party where different members of the wine community will host a wine tasting. Each meal will showcase 4-5 different wines. During my visit, for example, I got to sample some Greek wines and unfiltered sake. For $40 (wine only), this is a pretty sweet deal.
These restaurants have achieved gastronomical greatness! It's hard to describe why I chose these places. But, there is definitely something special happening at each one of them. Whether it was the tender love of Crown Shy’s short rib, the incredible uni truffle toast at Chef’s Table, or a remarkably fine tagliolini at Rezdôra, these restaurants showed true authenticity and uniqueness amidst the mutable nature of the culinary world.
I have a lot of respect for these restaurants as they stay true to their flavors and style.
Feel free to check out the reviews I've written. But, honestly, I encourage you to just go try them out and see if they are worthy to be one of your favorites as well. Thanks again for another great year!